1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to aids for sports training, and more particularly to a training brace for a golfer to learn proper golf club swing technique. Still more particularly the present invention relates to a brace for the arm of a golfer which teaches the golfer proper golf club swing technique by imposing selective control over movement of the golfer's arm at the elbow during swing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many people enjoy the sport of golf for its relaxing out-of-doors qualities. Each of these people dream of perfecting their game. One of the critical factors that determines game performance is golf club swing (hereinafter referred to simply as "swing"). This is because the quality of the swing determines the distance and direction that the golf ball will take upon being addressed (that is, struck) by the club. Standards of swing technique are now well established, which, if followed, would improve the game of many players. In the art of golf, the standard swing is one in which the leading arm (the left arm in the case of right-hand players) remains straight until contact with the golf ball has been made by the club, thereafter the lead arm flexes at the elbow as the swing carries forward under the generated momentum of the swing.
Unfortunately, this swing technique is not easily learned. Swing technique must be both understood and practiced by the player before mastery is achieved. Unfortunately, many golf enthusiasts are not gifted with an ability to easily and quickly master swing technique. These people must either spend a great amount of time in practice, or simply ignore their inadequacy and play the game with an admitted "sloppy" swing. Yet, proper swing can be learned by any golfer, given the right environment to learn.
In the prior art, C. B. Martin in U.S. Pat. No. 3,419,277, dated Dec. 31, 1968, addressed the issue of perfecting swing technique by the utilization of a golfer's brace. Martin proposed a brace having a torso component and an arm component, the arm component being a length adjustable elongate structure adapted to engage primarily the upper arm of the golfer via an arm band. The arm component is hingably connected with the torso component allowing two degrees of freedom of movement. Stops on the torso component regulate possible movement of the arm component in order to place the golfer's arm in a best angle for optimally addressing the golf ball with the club. Martin also addresses the issue of the lead arm of the golfer remaining straight before and during address of the golf ball. Martin indicates that this is achieved by the arm band sliding along the golfer's arm. When the golfer begins his or her swing, the arm band will have slid along the golfer's arm to a position encircling the elbow, thereby preventing flexing of the golfer's leading arm. But, when address of the ball has been accomplished, the arm band will have slid to a position just above the elbow, now permitting the golfer's arm to flex.
Martin's device suffers from a cumbersome structure that is not well suited to its aim. This is primarily because the arm component remains permanently rigid so that control of elbow flexing must be accommodated by slidable movement of an arm band with respect to the elbow. Under normal conditions the arm band must snuggly fit about the upper arm of the golfer, in which case the arm band cannot be expected to easily slide along the arm, resulting in impaired swing movement. Further, the arm band cannot be expected to truly prevent flexing at the elbow, as the mechanical forces generated by the muscles of the golfer require a brace having a far larger lever arm to overcome than that which the width of the arm band would provide. Still further, the arm band would not be expected to provide a mechanically rigid structure that would truly prevent flexing at the elbow. Still Further, Martin's drawing depicts a device in which a portion of the arm component extends beyond the elbow at all times, a feature sure to impede arm flexing even when permitted. Therefore, while Martin may sincerely wish to address the issue of elbow flexing of the golfer's arm before and during golf ball addressment, Martin's solution is not sufficiently practical to afford a true solution to the issue.
Accordingly, what is needed is a golf swing brace which regulates elbow flexing in a manner which is responsive to the golfer's swing so that elbow flexing is prevented before and during golf ball addressment, but is freely permitted thereafter, thus truly simulating for the golfer-in-training proper swing technique.